The present invention relates, in general, to the field of managed recovery technology within the computer industry. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system, method, and computer program for backing up and restoring computer data. In addition, the present invention is integral in safeguarding computers from corruptions such as software viruses, user errors, and other catastrophes by storing backup data in a protected storage area. This protected storage area is hidden from the end user and the computer's primary operating system so that the backup data remains impervious to the programs and processes performed within the primary partition.
Computers are used for a variety of tasks including performing calculations, sending and receiving electronic mail, accessing the Internet, and more. Integral to the value of a computer is its ability to write data to a storage media and then read, or retrieve, this data at a later point in time. Therefore, the value of a computer system is directly related to the reliability and integrity of this data. With this said, dependable data storage is a crucial aspect of modern computer usage.
For example, a retail store's point of sale computer typically stores a variety of data including operating system files, application files, sales records, customer information, and more. Current data is generally stored in a primary storage media, such as a hard disk, for rapid access. In many organizations, however, computer data is regularly archived (or “backed-up”) to an archive media, such as magnetic disks, optical disks, and/or magnetic tapes to preserve the data for historical purposes. This allows a method by which data can be accessed at some point in the future. Preferably, the current data is copied from the computer's primary storage media to the archive media. The archive media is then stored in a safe location, preferably off-site, as a further precaution to protect the archived data.
To reduce the overhead associated with backups, it is common for users to specify a subset of files within their primary partition to include in backups. The files included in backups are usually those that do not exist on another media such as user-created word processing documents, databases, and spreadsheets. Conversely, files that can be retrieved from another media such as an installation CD are often excluded from backups. Examples of files often excluded from backups include those included in installation programs such as operating systems and application files.
As the amount of data residing in the computer system increases, however, the time and computer resources required to archive the data also increases. In addition, since standard backup/restore programs do not perform comparisons to determine which files are new or modified since the last backup, it is common for several backup sets to contain an exact copy of the same file. This decreases the efficiency of the backup process by increasing the time required to complete a backup as well as the amount of media space required to store the resulting backup. While this backup method accomplishes the basic goal of backing up data, it is inefficient, time-consuming, and in most cases, incomplete as it only includes a subset of the data currently stored on the computer. In addition, if a restore is required, the user must reinstall all of the applications and data not included in the backup process. In most cases, this requires the user to reinstall the operating system and applications before restoring their backup data.
Like all standard applications, backup/restore programs require the existence of a functional, compatible operating system. Therefore, in the event that there is a corruption to a computer's operating system, the backup/restore program will not function and users cannot restore their data. The only solution to this problem is for the user to reinstall the computer's operating system and then initiate the restore process. For several environments such as point of sale computers, branch offices, and the mobile workforce, this inefficiency makes the standard backup/restore program a less than desirable solution.
For example, a point of sale computer can be tied into the standard operating procedures of a restaurant. In this scenario, the restaurant uses its computers to process customer orders including displaying the order for the cook, calculating the cost of the meal, calculating the amount of change, and more. Restaurants cannot afford to perform the time-consuming task of restoring a point of sale machine while customers wait to place their orders. In addition, if the computer's operating system is corrupt and will not boot to its primary partition, extensive computer knowledge is required before restoring the system including an understanding of operating systems, drivers, networks, etc. The result is extended downtime resulting in a loss of revenue, productivity, and ultimately profitability.
Accordingly, the prior art systems for backing up and restoring computer data have significant disadvantages and limitations. It would, therefore, be highly desirable to create a backup application that eliminates the problems of the conventional backup process and allows users to rapidly restore their computer to a previously known state.